Filled with busy buyers, the lead up to the holiday period can be a high grossing sales period for many retailers. According to a study by MiQ Australia, 34 percent of Aussies are planning to spend more on the holiday season compared to last year, despite rising living costs. Strategically offering promotions is an excellent tool in catching the attention of all customers – for a very Merry Christmas all round.
Wrap it up, put a bow on it
We all know that feeling of unwrapping something… anything. Whether it’s an order from eBAY, unboxing diamonds from a supplier or cracking that new jar of peanut butter. It’s a valuable moment in your day.
So, why not replicate this for your customers and their giftees? Give their present the added value of an exciting unboxing experience – with all the bells and whistles.
Think bows, branded tissue paper, perfect wrapping and a cute little gift bag to bring it all home. Personalise the experience with a card – it’s cheap and makes your customers’ lives that much easier if they are buying a gift. Or it will brighten their day if they bought it for themselves while whispering “Merry Christmas to ME.”
Social media note: Popular in their own right, social media unboxing videos are an interesting way to leverage influencers, particularly those on YouTube. Sharing your product and packaging to their audience online, these videos are particularly valuable for high end brands and products.
Online vs instore
A question that everyone wants answered. The truth? It depends on who you are selling to and what you want to achieve. Bricks and mortar stores can offer an entirely different and, frankly, immersive experience whereas online retailers have the capacity to reach large audiences and push product further.
An independent study from Couriers Please revealed 55 percent of those under the age of 30 listed online as preferred way of purchasing, compared with 46 percent of 40-59 year olds and 25 percent over the age of 60.
Instore, you should be creating an experience that makes someone think this really is the most wonderful time of the year. Unique displays and strong customer service will take you far. Signage made for the season reminds people your product is a good gift option. Those last minute stragglers could also be your best customers – bring them in with well thought out window displays.
Online, make suggestions. Those who buy online are usually well prepared, so leverage this and suggest products at checkout. They may find something that would work as a gift for someone else. Use product suggestion widgets to make the set up of this easier. Who knows, you could make a sale that wouldn’t otherwise happen.
Social media note: Plan your socials to include the campaigns you develop – your consumers will love the consistency (it builds trust) and it will make it easier to create content for the next few months.
Deck the halls (and your marketing)
Christmas marketing can be a great way to get shoppers thinking about presents before the last week scramble. Running a campaign with beautifully curated imagery of your in-season pieces across socials, signage and ads creates a great hook.
Have a bricks and mortar store? Make it feel festive. This doesn’t have to look tacky – you can consider your brand and its colours in the decorations. High end brands such as Chanel and Tiffany & Co do this well. Do your research and get creative.
Selling online? Simply switch over your banners and update your campaign imagery. Hot tip – use Christmas themed digital easter eggs throughout the site. Examples of this? A loading page with Santa riding his sleigh across the screen.
Social media note: Use stories across Facebook and Instagram as a way to share content that didn’t quite make the cut for your feed.
Discounts – but only to some
We have all seen the common Christmas sale – but why not reward your previous or regular customers with a discount that makes them feel VIP. If they have bought from you before and are happy with the product, chances are they will consider buying from you again.
Promotions are an excellent way of putting our customers in a good mood.
Research by Dr. Paul J. Zak, a Professor of Neuroeconomics at Claremont Graduate University suggests that people’s oxytocin levels increase when people receive a discount code or coupon. In fact, it increases more than when people receive a gift. The data suggests discounts make customers happier and more relaxed, in turn making the holiday shopping period more enjoyable.
The takeaway – reward your most loyal customers, they will appreciate it.
Social media note: Discounts can also run for your wider audience, and you can share these via your socials with a code.
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